RICK METHOT: Proposal would snub anglers

So why, when an overwhelming majority of fishermen surveyed said they were “satisfied” with the way things are going on the Big Flat Brook in Sussex County, perhaps the state’s premier trout stream, is the NJ Bureau of Fisheries proposing major changes to the rules?

Because Trout Unlimited, an outfit that does much good for trout habitat, but is somewhat elitist in how the common masses should fish, wants to ban bait fishing and create a catch-and-release fishery only for a 4.2 mile section of those waters.

First a caveat, as Lisa Barno, Chief of Freshwater Fisheries, said at last week’s Fish and Game Council meeting at Assunpink, this is only a proposal and even if approved would not go into effect until the 2014-2015 season.

However, the catch-and-release artificial flies or lures only plan is the recommendation of the bureau to council. There will be the obligatory public comment period and probably not a vote on any regs until this October.

It is a significant change, if approved, because the first nine days of the trout season on the Flat Brook, again we’re talking about the aforementioned 4.2 mile run of an 11.6-mile stream, allow bait fishing — except in the Blewett Tract, which we have plied with flies since the early 1970s.

That means guys who like to bounce worms on the bottom, fish minnow rigs or commercial baits or even float a mini-marshmallow downstream will be banned from their favorite way to catch a few trout for dinner.

An aside. Like I said in a previous column, you guys who like to fish with bait better start showing up at these meetings and let your voices be heard.

An interesting aspect of the proposal to turn that stretch of the Flat Brook into catch-and-release using artificial lures only is that it could mean that the fly only Blewett Tract will be open to spinner slingers, next to the fly flingers.

I foresee some nasty incidents coming.

The pros of a catch-and release plan are no closed stocking dates, 26 more fishing days, according to Barno, and a year-round fishing opportunity.

The cons are, the obvious as mentioned...the bait guys are told to take a hike as well as those who like to eat trout.

I’m with those survey respondents who said things are just fine on the Flat Brook.

I don’t want TU telling me how to fish.

And the state Bureau of Fisheries should not have a “bow-down” reaction to everything the outfit suggests.

Another proposal from Fisheries is to lower the catch limits for fall and winter trout fishing, but that will be tabled for further review until 2015.

There is a recommendation to remove the in-season closure for fishing the Black River, one of 16 waters where you can’t fish until 5 p.m. the day of stocking.

Supposedly Black River is under-utilized in terms of the other 16 and, as we remember in our younger days, a bit of a hike down through Hacklebarney State Park to get to the water.

But, again, the bureau is going against angler wishes. Some 60 percent of anglers are in favor of those stocking day closures.

One factor favoring eliminating the timeout period is that conservation officers have the unenviable chore of spending a bunch of duty hours checking to see if anybody is fishing before legal time. As Barno said, and we agree, this is keeping people away from the resource we want them to enjoy.

True; retirees and the unemployed may have an advantage here, but it’s not worth keeping angers away until 5 p.m. It’s a silly rule that needs to be canned.

ARCHERY PARK

Plans are in the works for an archery park, likely to be built at the Clinton Wildlife Management Area across the road from Spruce Run State Park. According to Dave Chanda, Division Chief, the facility would include an indoor and outdoor range, 3-D course and would complement the Archery in the Schools program. There also may be a satellite archery facility in the works for South Jersey.

PEQUEST PROGRESS

That new education center at Pequest we’ve mentioned in previous columns will be designed by SSP Architectural Group, Inc. in Somerville.

Don’t forget the annual Open House there March 23-24 from 10-4 each day.

SHAD SEASON

Steve Meserve emailed us with news that he will, help and river conditions permitting, make his first netting on the river Saturday, the 23rd.

If you want to volunteer, contact him at lewisfishery@comcast.net.

— Contact me at rikwrite@aol.com and check the Out in the Open Blog for more news.